Check writer



Patented Aug. 1, 1950 CHECK WRITER Christian L. Rostock, Toledo, Ohio, assignor of one-half to Walter A. Eaton, Toledo, Ohio Application November 13, 1946, SerialNo. 709,606

2 Claims. (Cl. 101- 20) This invention relatesto selective notation marking or scarifying equipment in a compact, substantial manually operable unit.

This invention has utility when incorporated in a type carrier adapted to impress upon checks or negotiable paper the amount, as well as special supplemental indicia as may be deemed appropriate. The location and arrangement of the various manually selective features are such that an operator may use both hands to speed up the volume of work being turned out, with accuracy and clearness.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. '1 is a side view, with the top or cover uplifted, and parts broken away, of an embodiment of the invention in a checkwriter;

Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the unit of Fig. l, but with the impress or scarifying-effecting handle in depressed or thrown position of operation;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of features of the indicia or type carriers and the mounting or control parts therefor: and

Fig. 4 is a section of a portion thru the cover bridge which carries the ball stop positioning the character at the hammer for scarifying the instrument.

Housing A pair of side strips I, 2, have a top integral plate 3 forming a base frame having cushion feet 4. A hinge pin 5 mountsa cover or top 6 to swing from bearing-providing ears 1 near one end of the base I, 2, 3. Intermediate the length and from the lower side, the cover 6 has clearance region 8 to span the outwardly projecting overhang portions of the plate 3, which may serve as a check-receiving table. A knob 9 on a pin Iilmay direct the pin I0 thru an opening II of the cover 6 and openings I2 in the sides I, 2, as aligned to enter internally threaded opening 13. The checkwriter unit is thus locked inclosed position for operation. As so assembled, it is convenient for shifting about as desired.

Hammer terminus H, the arm I6 extends along inside the frame side I and is rockably mounted on a shaft I8 extending between the sides I, 2, of the frame,

spaced somewhat down from the plane of the iii) it back.

2 plate 3 and clear thereof toward the skirt portion I5.

The arm It has integral therewith. a cam short arm i9 against which rides a long arm fixed on a shaft 2| between the sides I, 2. Also fixed with the shaft 2I and oppositely extending from the arm 20 toward an opening 22 in the plate 3, is an arm 23 having crosswise and upwardly open from its free end a channel 24 in which is located an impactor or hammer face of a desired degree of hardness, as a hard rubber 25.

Ribbon feed and ribbon Fixed with the arm 20 is a short arm 26 from which upwardly extendsa resilient metal strap or thrust pawl 21 coacting with a ratchet wheel 28 fixed with a spool 29 on the shaft I8 upon which the lever I6, I9 is loosely mounted. As the handle I! is depressed, and this actuation transmitted by the arm I9 to the arm. 20, the pawl 21 moves downward over the teeth of the wheel 28. Inwardly extending from the frame side I above the shaft I8 is a lug 30 from which extends a tension helical spring 3I to an upstanding lug 32 medially of the arm I6. Accordingly as the handle I! is released, the spring 3I swingsthe arm I6 upward to its initial or starting position' The channel 24 and its rubber head 25 are retracted by a spring 3| to cause the arm 253 to ride closer to the shaft l8 during the recovery of the arm I6. This rocking of the arm 20 upward, causes the pawl 21 to thrust against the wheel 28 with sufiicient force to advance or give a step rotation. This causes the spool 29 r to take a step in wrapping inking band or ribbon 33 thereon.

Near the opposite ends of the plate 3 are guides 34, 35, for the ribbon 33. A supply spool 36 for the ribbon 33, is mounted on stub shafts 31. In

order that the intermittent pulling of the ribbon 33 to the spool 29 may not causeexcess turning of the spool 36, there is a brake 38 to hold Check locater a pointer fixed with the knob 39. The operator of the checkwriter may turn the knob 39t0 ads from the block portion 48.

Indicia mounting and control The cover 6 has an open top region 48. Slightly inwardly oiiset from the bounds of the region 48 is a plate 41. The cover 6, above the clearance region 8 has a guide block portion 48. This portion 43 is below the plate 41 at the portion of the plate 41 toward the hinge pin 5. In

addition to the block. portion 48, the cover 8 has an additional block portion 43. The block portion 43 is near the top end of the cover skirt portion 65. Parallel guide rods 58 are fixed in these blocks 43, 48, and in extending from the block 49 pass on thru the block 48 to project therebeyond.

Inasmuch as the rods 55 are to guide, the ele-- ment to be guided is assembled with each rod 50 before the rod 53 is anchored in the block portions 48, 45. The element to be guided comprises an upright leg i parallel to a leg 52 with a connecting base portion 53. Each unit 5|, 53, 52 is of a general U-forrn or shape. In the assembly of the U element with its red 58, the leg 5| is on the portion of the rod 53 which projects from the block portion 48 on the side away The other leg 52 is on the rod 53 between the blocks 48, 49. The U-element is thus directed to slide along the rod 50 as a guide with the portion 53 parallel to the rod 58 and therebelow.

Above the respective rods 55 and in line therewith thru the plate 4'! is a slot 54. In alignment with each of these slots 54 in the plate 41 and toward the end of the plate 4! remote from the block. portion 48, is a small port or window 55.

Each of the legs 52 protrudes upward thru a slot 54 and has mounted thereon a knob 56.

The block 48 is spaced slightly away from the plate 4? and provides a clearance 51 between the upper side of the block 43 and the underside of the plate-4T. Just inward from the slot 54 each leg 52 has a strip 58 extending to ride thru the clearance 51' the extent of the strip 58 to the leg 55 on the same rod 58 as the leg 52 of the element 52, 53, 5|, to which the strip 58 is also connected. The strip 58 is thus parallel to the portion 53. Upon the side of each strip 58 away from the portion 53, is a series of notations 59. Useful function resides in this strip 58, for the reason that the notations 55 thereon as exposed to the window 55 are identical with the notation to be acted upon by the hammer 25.

The base portion 53 of the element or unit 5|, 53, 52, riding on each of the guide rods 58, has on its side toward the rod 58 a series of seats or notches 68. Upon its opposite or under side, the portion 53 has mounted thereon an indicia carrier or type bar 5!. Type or characters 62 are ribbed or of scarifying effecting form on the bar 3|. As one of these characters, say '7 is located at the hammer thru operation of the knob '56 on one of the U-elements 52, 53, 51, the strip 58 for such element exposes at its window .55 the characterf'l. A definite holding of the slidable unit 52, 53, 5|, to have its character 82 as elected, register with the hammer 25, is brought about due to the notch 68 corresponding to such character 62 being engaged by a ball 63, yieldably thrust into the notch 60 as a seat by a spring 64. There is in the block 48 a ball 63 thrust toward each base 53 by a spring 64. The spring 64 is a helical compression spring in an opening in the block 48 thru which opening the rod 5!) holds the spring 84 compressed for the element 5!, 53, 52, having the particular base 53 engaged by the ball 83. There is thus provided a yieldable stop permitting the checkwriter operator to take hold of a knob 58 and thrust it along its slot 54 for disclosing a desired marking numeral or notation 59 at its window 55. Again considering that the character 7 be so placed, its location is over and directly against the top side of the ribbon 33 as extending across the opening 22 in the plate 3 and is directly opposite the hammer 25. The characters to be marked upon an instrument 65 on the plate 3 (Fig. 4) are individually selected thru the manipulation of the knobs 56. When these are fully assembled, the operator then pushes the handle I! downward and the hammer 25 imparts the upward impact to the back of the instrument to be marked. There may be a slight give or yield in this hammer action to the extent there be looseness of the legs 5!, 52, on the rod 55, or resiliency in the rod 50, to allow the frame portion 53 to rise snugly against the under side of the block 48. The recover of the handle I! automatically effects a slight advance of the inking means. This provides fresh or renewal of the pigment depositing means upon the check. Clarity in the marking is thus had with no requirement for attention upon the part of the operator, except to replace the inking strip or ribbon 33 as in its runs thru the machine it becomes too much worn to warrant reversal.

A spring, strap pawl '66 engages the ratchet wheel 28 and limits the direction of turning of the wheel 28 to that of the thrusting by the pawl 21.

What is claimed and it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A checkwriter cover indicia carrier comprising a pair of legs with a connecting base portion to form a U-irame, a guide rod thru the legs of the frame, said cover having a block portion between the legs thru which portion the rod extends to slidably carry the frame with the legs on opposite sides of the block portion, a notation strip extending between the legs and over the block portion toward the cover, said connecting portion of the frame between the legs having a succession of seats therealong toward the block portion, and an indicia carrier along the opposite side of the connecting portion of the frame and a spring ball catch in the block portion between the rod and aseat to register thereunder and a hammer impactor opposing said selected seat.

2. A checkwriter including a base, a cover therefor, a handle, a first fulcrum for the handle, said first fulcrum having pivot bearing in the base, a cam-carrying :arm fixed with the handle, a second fulcrum having bearing in the base axially parallelto and spaced from the first fulcrurrna lever mounted on the second fulcrum and adapted to be actuated by the cam, said lever having an arm provided with an impactor bar at its free end, a pawl mounted directly on the lever remote from the bar, a ratchet with which the 5 pawl coacts, a pigment strip mounted in the base and connected to be shifted relatively to the bar by said ratchet, selective notation means carried by the cover and thereby held toward the opposite side of the strip from the bar, an ad-- justable guide way for an object to be marked, said way providing a station between the notation means and strip at the vicinity of the bar,

and spring means normally retracting the handle.

from bar impacting operation toward the notation means, and during said retracting coacting thru said lever to shift the strip thru operating the pawl and ratchet.

CHRISTIAN L. ROS'IOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,026,116 Anthony Dec. 31, 1935 2,087,315 Bugg July 20, 1937 2,231,237 Welter Feb. 11, 194'1 10 2,251,162 Payne July 29, 1941 2,281,577 Haynes May 5, 1942 2,300,595 Rix Nov. 3, 1942 2,339,188 Payne Jan. 11, 1944 2,342,698 Sand Feb. 29, 1944 15 2,346,611 Rostock Apr. 11, 1944 

